All's Fair in Love & Rome
by Crazychicke
Summary: Based on the movie When in Rome. Caroline is a museum curator & a workaholic, when her sister Elena gets married in Rome, Caroline meets Damon's brother, Stefan & loses him. Taking out her frustration on the Fonte D'amore, she steals 5 coins, thinking she's saving their owners from their ill-fated love, only to curse herself. Steroline/Delena & all Caroline's other ships.
1. When in Rome

**Disclaimer: Not mine, as much as I wish. A/N: Continuing my SC movie series with** **When in Rome.** **In this Liz Forbes adopted Elena, and they're sisters. Humouring myself. Enjoy x**

 **When in Rome**

 **1.**

Caroline crammed a sandwich into her mouth, she had been on her feet all day. Bonnie spoke in her ear-piece telling her she had some parsley in her teeth. Caroline tried not to dwell on her meeting with her ex-boyfriend, who had the nerve to come to her event to apologise for dumping her on their vacation a year ago. "When I broke up with you," he'd said. "I felt like you cared more about your job than about me, but I'm ready to jump in again...you made me realize it doesn't matter as long as you love them..." What a bastard, Caroline thought, watching the visitors peruse the gallery. "I've met someone who works as hard as you and we're getting engaged!"

Caroline somehow made it home, trying not think about her ex and eager to one, put the kettle on and two, massage her feet. Somebody knocked on her apartment door not long after. It was her sister, Elena. "Guess what?" Caroline furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm getting married! His name is Damon, he's Italian and he's the one, sis. I know it's only been two weeks, but when you know, you don't need proof, you just know!" Elena swept her long brown hair over her shoulder, beaming and hauled her luggage inside, kicking off her stilettos. Caroline pulled a second mug from the cupboard while Elena rambled about her holiday to Italy. She paused, leaning over the couch. "What about your love life, how's that going?"

"When I find a guy who I like more than my job, then I'll know, and so will you." Elena rolled her eyes. She shared, along with their parents, the belief that she worked too hard, and needed a life.

Caroline let her sister stay on her couch, giving her a pillow and some clean blankets. "The wedding's going to be in Damon's hometown, and I want you to come, I mean you have to take time off work, this is important to me." Elena pouted and Caroline sighed, agreeing, although she realized after going to bed, the date Elena had picked was the same day as the scheduled Gala which she'd promised her boss she'd pull off without a hitch. Her job relied on it.

Bonnie followed her as she ran to the photocopier, late for a meeting. "Instead of chasing a fairytale you can focus on work, you know I've never been happier..." Bonnie didn't say anything. Caroline knew she was obsessed with her job, she put all her energy in it so she didn't have to date and have her heart broken again and again. She sat down in the meeting, eyes on her, sipping her coffee that Bonnie had made. Her boss, the museum director, Esther Mikaelson, covered their schedule for the next month, and Caroline promised to meet it. "But there is one small detail, my sister is getting married in _Italy_ , in _Rome!_ But, I assure you, I _will_ stay on top of this in Rome..."

Esther's lips pursed."You may be talented, Caroline, but you are not irreplaceable," she replied, freezing her heart. When Caroline finally arrived in Rome, she was horrified to find she had no phone reception. Her heart raced as she'd promised Esther she would only be in Rome for 48 hours, and she had so much to get done. "Look Senora, welcome to Roma!" Her taxi driver pointed out famous landmarks, sighing when he saw she had not looked up from her phone at all. "Did I mention I was late for my sister's wedding?" she muttered, as he put his foot down on the gas.

When she'd paid the driver, Caroline ran to the church, hauling her suitcase over the cobblestones, relieved to see her father waiting on the steps of the church. "Caroline, you look exhausted!" he said, calling a tall, dark-haired stranger over to meet her. "So, you're my sister too now?" Damon introduced himself and gave her a kiss on both cheeks. He hurried inside, and her mother, Liz called her inside to get changed into her bridesmaids dress, giving Bill a smile. Things had been better between them since their divorce, Caroline thought. " See if he has a brother or a cousin!" he shouted after her diminishing figure. She shushed him with her hand. When the time came, Elena gave her a hug and she made sure Elena hadn't forgotten her flowers. Caroline stood at the altar, itching to check her messages or see if she had any bars on her phone, but instead stared at the red carpet, listening to Pachabel's Canon on the organ. Elena walked down the aisle on Bill's arm. She looked stunning in an Elie Saab and Caroline was happy for her, even if she didn't think her marriage would last - she was a realist, not a dreamer.

A handsome man with short brown hair barged into the church, dropping his phone, and tripping over the white sheets attached to the pews. Caroline didn't think anyone was more clumsy than her, she had been wrong. Damon sighed, checking he had the rings, and Stefan reassured him, all was fine. Bill Forbes and Elena had reached the altar, and Damon replaced him, standing beside his fiancé. Caroline listened to their vows, and the exchange of rings, glancing at Stefan, who she recalled Elena had said was Damon's little brother. Stefan grinned, noticing her staring, making her look away.

Bill Forbes hugged Caroline, as they walked passed some traditional Italian dance performers. She lowered her phone, frustrated when she still couldn't get a signal. "That's my girl, taking care of business." She was in a bad mood and hadn't slept that well on the plane, anxious something would go wrong with the gala, even though she'd briefed Bonnie before she left. Caroline sighed, while her father kissed her forehead."You refuse to fall in love, and I can't stop, we're a funny pair." It wasn't that she refused, there hadn't been anyone she liked. Elena came running over, rattling on about some vase-breaking game.

"The what?" she asked, watching Damon's Italian family encircle her and Elena, who shoved an enormous vase into her hands. It had a pretty blue lake around it with several white swans. "It's tradition!" Elena beamed, eyes bright. "You break the vase and the number of pieces determine how many years of happiness we'll have." It sounded like a lot of pressure. So many eyes were on her. The silence, unnerving. Dropping the vase onto the floor did absolutely nothing, much to Caroline and Elena's horror. A gasp rose up from Damon's side of the family. Bill chuckled into his hand while Liz swatted him to be quiet, encouraging Caroline with a nod.

"Why won't it break!" Caroline hissed, throwing the damn thing across the room, it bounced off the floor and hit one of Damon's nonnas. "I'm SO sorry!" Caroline slammed it against the stage, suddenly getting an idea, grabbing the microphone and bashing it with all her strength. Elena was sitting on the stage with her head in her hands, clearly embarrassed, but not as much as Caroline. She raised the vase, and everyone literally ducked, then Stefan grabbed it from her and aimed it at the wall. It smashed into millions of tiny pieces. She raised her head, curling her hair behind her ear, flushed, and panting slightly.

Stefan smirked. "Wow, you're a determined little thing, aren't you?" She put her hands on her hips, adamant that she'd cracked it before he did. He nodded, and she opened her mouth to say something but Liz pulled her aside, reminding her of her maid of honour speech, she hadn't written.

Stefan accompanied her to the stage. Great, now she had to further humiliate herself. "Hello again. I'm Caroline, sister, of the bride. Elena, I look at you and I see a grown woman who has seen all the magic in the world, and I know, Damon, I haven't known you for very long, but I see that you are both so happy together, and-" Stefan jumped in, translating to the rest of the guests in Italian. When she finished her speech, Caroline knew her relationship with Damon's family had turned sour, and not because she was the crazy vase lady. "I liked your speech," Stefan said, catching up to her.

"Where did you learn to speak Italian so poorly?" He grinned, scratching his ear. "College," he admitted. Caroline noticed he had his phone in his hand. Putting the incident behind her she asked him who his service provider was. She tried to snatch his phone. "Can I send one quick work email?"

Stefan shook his head. "You're going to put your number into my phone." She kept trying to get it. "No, I'm not. I'm not going to call you, because I need to block it from my phone." Stefan swatted away her persistent hands. "No, you can't, because it's off," he said, shoving it inside his jacket pocket. She stared at him as if she'd misheard. _Off?_ It sounded so foreign. One of Stefan's friends introduced himself as Jesse. He was tall, with a kind smile, but shy. "I tooka my vows six months ago, but I like to play cards with hima, sometimes, still." Stefan shook his head while Caroline sighed, watching his friend cross the dance floor, where Elena and Damon were having their wedding waltz.

"Look at those two, two weeks! That's not enough for a credit cheque! Are you kidding me?" Stefan hissed, glad to find somebody else who agreed. Caroline stared at him, having said the exact same thing to Bonnie a day ago. Caught off-guard by his smile, she decided to put work out of her mind, and at least enjoy the time she had. Stefan pulled her onto the dance floor, and the music became a faster tempo, with traditional instruments, and she started to laugh, mainly at Bill and Stefan's dance moves, and then because she actually felt the most alive she had in years. Stefan grinned, flicking his legs back and forth until his shoe flew off and short-circuited the entire building.

"SORRY!" Stefan yelled, standing in the dark with Caroline and feeling like a complete fool. The lights came back on, and he looked down to see her quite close..."Is that my phone?" he demanded, as she grimaced, pouting when he snatched it back. He didn't tell her how impressed he was by her sleight of hand. "SCANTO!" Two young boys started to yell, gesturing at him with large grins. Caroline twirled on the spot, enjoying their slow dance, and not remembering a time where her cheeks had hurt so much from laughing.

She looked up curious. He sighed. "It means the hit," she waited til he explained the whole story, about how he played football during a storm and was struck by lightning. "Football, goats, you hit a lot..." she smirked. Stefan frowned. "It's the type of hit I don't want to be known for, I mean, it wasn't fun, it shook me up." She nodded, resting her head against his chest, and closing her eyes.

"You smell like lavender," he murmured. "You smell like livestock..." she smirked, raising her chin, and seeing his handsome eyes sparkling. Her heart raced, aware of how they had stopped dancing, and his mouth was almost on hers. "It's time to cut the cake," Liz smiled, interrupting them. Caroline sighed, giving Stefan a smile, and went to help.

After the cutting of the cake, Caroline pinched two champagne flutes and a bottle of champagne, intent on finding Stefan and continuing their kiss, and then some. Elena and Bonnie wanted her to get out more, she thought. She stood on the balcony, pleased to see him wandering around looking for her, and sculled her first glass. "What the hell..." she told herself, sneaking outside the church and into the street. She almost called out to him when a woman in a red dress kissed him. "Of course," she said, taken aback and slipping behind a pillar. Nobody that handsome could be single, it was Italy, the city of love, or pasta...or whatever, it was.

Disappointed in herself, Caroline waited for Stefan to leave before sitting on the steps of the _Fonte D'amore._ "Idiot!" she kicked off her red stilettos, slouching and checked for stragglers, pleased when there were none. She swivelled in her seat and cooled her ankles in the fountain, drinking the champagne from the bottle. "What are you looking at?" Great, the bubbles were affecting her sanity. She hadn't checked her emails all day, she'd tried to plan an event for a job that could replace her in seconds, and Stefan had proved he was just like all the rest.

"You want us to wait our whole lives for some perfect guy to sweep us off our feet? Well guess what? He's not coming!" she glared at the stature, frustrated at herself and angry at the world. She looked down at her feet and saw thousands of coins thrown into the fountain by locals and tourists. "Each one of you is a desperate wish for love that ain't gonna come true..." Caroline shook her head, glaring at the guardian, who she felt was taunting her, so she decided to taunt it back, plunging her hand into the cold water.

"I'm saving you..!" she said, staring at the rusty coin, and holding it up in the moonlight. In a little restaurant on the other side of Rome, a British tourist, looked up from his bottle of pinot noir, smiling. "I'm saving you!" she said, as a dark-haired artist, dropped his paintbrush. "And you," a magician, looked up from his set of cards. "And you," a jogger stopped running. "And you," she raised a gambling chip. A shout alerted her to the police, and she picked up her things, vacating the fountain, the five coins still in her hand. Unbeknown to her, Stefan watched, with a grin.

 **A/N: Please review! Please point out any typos, many thanks :)**


	2. Nothing to Lose

**Disclaimer: Not mine, as much as I wish. A/N: Thanks for your reviews! Like many of you, this is one of my favourite films & I'm as excited as you are to see how this goes. I'm a perfectionist, so I apologise for the delay between updates. Enjoy x**

 **Nothing to Lose**

 **2.**

Caroline had arrived home from work and put a frozen dinner in the microwave when her phone rang. She answered with a monotonous hello, hoping it was a wrong number. "Stefan who?" she muttered, pulling some cutlery from the kitchen drawer. "From the wedding," he said. She watched the countdown on the microwave, remembering him, and how she had felt when he'd kissed another woman. "I wasn't expecting to get you," he said. When she stayed silent, he said. "I was wondering if you wanted to get something for dinner? I know this great place-" he began.

She cut him off. "I'm already having dinner." This didn't deter him. "A drink then?" She took out her dinner, burning her fingers on the tray. "No," she said. He stuttered. "I thought we hit it off the other night?" She almost snorted into the phone. "You're way off base, Stefan!" and she hung up, stabbing her steaming lasagne with her fork. A preoccupied Stefan wandered from the kitchen, seeing his friend raise his eyebrows, surrounded by empty beers and gambling chips.

"I grew a beard waiting for you!" Jeremy joked, pointing at the beer opener he'd left on top of the fridge, catching Stefan sliding his phone into his jeans' pocket. "You called a girl, didn't you?" Stefan refused to say. "She's put a spell on you!" Jeremy yelled when Stefan went into the kitchen to grab the bottle opener and contemplate what had gone wrong between him and Caroline. As the night went on, Jeremy relentlessly bugged Stefan about it.

"Her name's Caroline. She's smart, she's funny, I just don't understand why she keeps turning me down, I know we hit if off at the wedding," he said. Jeremy snorted into his hand. "Caroline? She's just come out of a serious relationship and as far as I knew he was a complete jerk, dumping her when she was on holiday, and now the dude's marrying someone else." Stefan frowned, remembering how Jeremy, Elena and Caroline had all grown up in the same house. He understood how Caroline might not want to dive into anything too soon, but her tone was frosty, like he'd personally upset her.

Jeremy patted Stefan's shoulder, seeing him still preoccupied over the matter. "Let me do some recon, Elena said as Museum Curator, Caroline's job is pretty full on, so because you're my friend and I see this is worrying you, I'll try and suss out what's going on." Jeremy grabbed his camera from his desk, with a grin, while Stefan reluctantly agreed.

* * *

Caroline jogged through the park, listening to her iPod, unaware of being watched. An artist frowned at his painting, unhappy with the condition of his subject's feet. When Caroline happened to run past, he was both pleased and surprised. He chased after her, calling out. "Piede! Piede!" and getting strange looks from people nearby. He just needed her to stop so he could study her feet, he thought. "When a woman runs away, it means she loves you! You must love me SO much!" he shouted, causing Caroline to look over her shoulder and see some nut waving paintbrushes at her.

Confused and alarmed, she ran faster, dodging a horse and cart and hoping to lose the deranged painter, but instead he collided with the cart and fell flat on his face. The owner of the cart yelled abuse at him, calming his horse while Caroline kneeled down to check on the painter. "Are you okay?" She shook his shoulder, concerned, then he gasped, rolling onto his side. "Si, I'm okay. My name is Tyler Lockwood, two days ago I had a vision, I see your face, your torso, your breasts, but I cannot paint your feet, so if you could just remove your socks-" he grasped her ankles with two eager hands.

Caroline flinched in alarm. "You came all the way from Italy to paint my feet?" Tyler nodded. "Si!" she fell back and apologised for his accident, telling him to be more careful. Tyler's shouts echoed through the park after her retreating figure. "You will recognise my love, Caroline. I will paint your face on every building until you do!" She warmed down outside The Grill cafe, making sure to check the streets for more weirdos before sitting down to enjoy a coffee and a sandwich.

Pulling a copy of _Vogue_ from the newspaper stand, she began to relax. At the table beside her, a man sat with a cap over his blue eyes. He smiled when she took a bite of her sandwich, returning to her magazine. "Isn't this cafe the greatest?" the man said. Caroline jumped, almost knocking over her coffee. Nobody seemed to care he'd switched tables and now sat opposite her.

"Feast your eyes...I'm a model, Matt Donovan." He held out his hand. She stared at him. "This is crazy, I don't know if I should look at my own reflection or look at you!" He laughed, glancing back and forth. Caroline tried to catch the eye of the manager making coffees for a family of four. Matt winked, running his hand through his dirty blond hair and slamming a portfolio on the table, spilling her coffee. "All my photo shoots! You're going to love the ones where I'm posing nude." She pulled some money from her wallet, aiming to leave.

Glimpsing his reflection in the mirror above her head, Matt sighed and admired himself, providing a running commentary, much to the annoyance of everybody else. The manager noticed her discomfort, and saw his customers leaving. "Put your shirt back on, what the hell do you think this is?" Caroline hid her gaze after Matt flexed his pecks, impressed. "I'll call security!" Matt laughed, ignoring the manager and blocked her exit. "I know you must think I'm a little nuts, but I'm in love with you!" he yelled after she fled the cafe, very shaken _. What the hell was going on?_

Forced to walk through the park due to a burst water-main, Caroline kept her head down. _Was she losing her mind?_ _Had she been working too hard?_ She heard a magician failing to entertain some kids nearby. "Excuse me, you've dropped your watch!" She kept walking, thinking he was speaking to someone else, until his hand caught her shoulder. "Is this yours?" she looked up into the tall man's serious expression, and saw her watch. Startled to have lost it, she thanked him and put it on.

"Excuse me!" he called again. _What now?_ "You've dropped your watch?" She brushed her hair from her flushed cheeks, staring at her watch she'd just put on, dangling again from the man's fingers. "Seriously?" she snatched it from him, and tied it to her wrist. "I don't have time for this!" People were chuckling around her. "You have all the time in the world!" he grinned. "Now it's getting creepy because you must have touched me and I didn't feel anything-" she snatched it back, irritated.

"I am the Magnificent Enzo! Please pick a card and I will tell you your destiny." The crowd seemed happy she was his guinea pig rather than them. "If I pick a card will you stop stealing my watch?" Enzo shrugged in response. She took a card hoping after that he'd leave her alone. He shuffled them, and pulled one from the deck at random, showing the crowd first and then her, and she smirked. "That's not my card," she said. _He wasn't a very good magician_ , she thought.

Enzo grinned in a mysterious way and opened his long jacket. "Is this your card?" She wasn't the only one who stepped back, disgusted when he pretended to remove his heart from his chest, covered in what Caroline could only hope was tomato sauce. The fake-heart slipped from his red-hands and bounced towards a disappointed ten year old as she made her getaway, hoping Esther wouldn't kill her for being five minutes late. "Ciao Bella!" a voice called. She looked up and Tyler grinned, presenting an artwork of Caroline's naked body to the world. There painted on the side of a building wall were her breasts, her stomach and her- "Hey! It's the girl from the painting!" Caroline changed direction, fleeing the scene.

Jeremy staked out in his car, checking the photos he'd taken, and wondering what Elena would say when he told her Caroline was dating guys of all ages, and talents, in secret."Sorry man," Jeremy said, showing the copies to Stefan, and watching his expression change from confusion to wonder. "Looks like she's a bigger player than you are!" Jeremy said. Stefan put down the photos at last, a smile appearing on his lips, much to Jeremy's surprise. "I'm not giving up. No, this just reassures me I need to step up my game. I'm calling the Florist," he declared with a smile.

* * *

Breathless and in the lift, Caroline fixed her hair, checking her watch, still firmly attached to her wrist, to see she was again, five minutes late. Bonnie came running, giving her a coffee, and asking if she was okay. "I'm fine, how's everything for the Gala, have you spoken to them about the centrepiece, it needs to be here by tomorrow afternoon..." Bonnie paused, making Caroline look up. "Well, they were being misogynist assholes, so, I told them to shove it!" Caroline felt like Esther was choking her, and swallowed, watching Bonnie's pleased expression falter.

"You told them to shove it? But that was our centrepiece! Esther's going to fire me." Bonnie tried to make amends, only making Caroline feel guilty because she had always encouraged Bonnie to be more direct and to believe in herself, and to not take shit from anyone. Bonnie hovered nearby while Caroline tried to think, her eyes welling up with tears, and then her phone rang. "Little busy, Stefan, what do you want?" she took a sip of coffee to steady her nerves. "I thought I'd ask you out to dinner, so you could officially tell me what I did wrong, and maybe we could work it out over a chocolate mousse." Bonnie pointed at Esther guiding their new patron up the hallway.

"I've got enough to deal with, what with my assistant giving away my centrepiece, and an event to organise. Goodbye Stefan." The lift opened, and Stefan walked out much to Caroline's dismay. Bonnie gripped Caroline's arm, Esther was only a metre away. "Why don't you look me in the eyes and tell me that," Stefan whispered. Caroline tried to look presentable. "Are you stalking me now?" she hissed. Stefan introduced himself to Bonnie, giving the flowers, he'd ordered for Caroline, to her instead. Caroline waited for Esther to introduce, _her son..._ "Klaus Mikaelson. I've managed to persuade him to join us at the Gala, and he's very excited to see the-" Bonnie squeaked, pretending to have sneezed and buried her nose amongst Stefan's white calla lilies.

Klaus had just noticed Stefan, and recognised him immediately. "Stefan Salvatore! You took a million volts in the neck during that game!" he grinned, while Esther and Bonnie stared in surprise. Klaus hugged Stefan, happy when he signed a scrap of paper Klaus pulled from his suit pocket. "Are you quite finished, Niklaus?" Esther asked, before introducing Caroline. "Only my mother calls me that, call me Klaus. Pleasure," and he kissed Caroline's knuckles. She blushed a little. "So where is it?" Esther asked, looking around for the centrepiece artwork, as though it should be there.

"We've had a complication," Caroline croaked while Esther frowned. Klaus muttered something to Stefan, who nodded, and Bonnie almost confessed. "Actually, Mrs Mikaelson, Caroline will be showing an original Petrocelli, never viewed," Stefan said, holding Caroline's awed gaze. "A _Vincenzo Pasquale Petrocelli?_ The Italian painter?" Esther queried, while Caroline prized Bonnie's fingers from her bruised arm. Stefan nodded. "It's rare. The only one of its kind. I'm its sole owner as I'm the subject. It captures the moment after I was struck by lightning, and I will gladly re-live the humiliation, so Caroline can use it as the centrepiece in this exhibition." Klaus seemed excited, but not as excited as getting a private tour from Caroline.

"Yes, come this way," she said, taking the older gentleman to the first exhibit. She thanked Stefan over her shoulder. _Maybe there had been some misunderstanding in Rome, maybe she should give him another chance?_ She left Bonnie to look after Stefan, and showed Klaus her favourite paintings, from Degas to Picasso, telling him interesting stories she'd learned during her time working there.

Having finished the tour, Caroline smiled, and Klaus pulled something from the inside of his jacket.

"I have a gift for you," he gave her a Tiffany's bag, and her eyes widened. "You didn't have to," she whispered, taking out a black box. She gasped when she peaked inside. It was a diamond bracelet, an _expensive_ diamond bracelet, by the looks of it. She put it back inside the bag, and noticed Klaus staring at her like she were his angel. She remembered the coins she had stolen from Rome. "Please say you're here because you have a deep appreciation of art..." she asked, slowly.

Klaus chuckled, confirming her fears. "I've dreamed of this moment, Caroline. Ever since returning from my travels. I knew you were the one for me." She squeaked, escaping his advances, ducking whenever he tried to kiss her. "Want to play cat and mouse?" he grinned, as she avoided him, at last throwing his present back, and hearing his confessions of love echoing through the museum.

That afternoon, Caroline tried to get everything organised for the Gala. She was distracted and interrupted by her Romeos who relentlessly tried to win her affections. Klaus had sent long stemmed roses turning her office into a florist. Matt had been photographed on a side of a bus, asking for her hand in marriage. Enzo had climbed onto Esther's office window-sill to pull a rabbit from his magician's hat, and Tyler had painted naked murals of her up and down the street. Esther called her into her office, unimpressed by the chaos.

"I can't explain..." Caroline said, when Esther stared at her. _You wouldn't believe me if I tried,_ she thought."I promise, I won't be distracted by this, I'm working as hard as I can to make this a night to remember." Esther tapped her nails on her desk, lips pursed, and leaned back in her chair. "I need confidence in my curators, Caroline, and I need this Gala to be perfect, not only because the mayor will be there, but because my family will be too, and I need my employees to be professional as ever. I have already had words with my son about the excessive flowers - but this mural, these other gifts need to go away. So, I will give you only this warning, if you embarrass me, I will see to it that you won't go near any artworks, ever again!"

When she finished work, Caroline avoided the front of the building afraid her Romeos would be waiting for her. She stood at the loading dock, talking to herself like a madwoman. "Okay, it's clear, there's no Tyler, no Matt, no Enzo, and no Klaus," she pushed open the door, ready to run if she had to. "Caroline-" she screamed, pulling something from her purse which turned out to be mint breath-spray and sprayed it into the eyes of her stalker. "ARGH!" Stefan waved his arms about and walked straight into the door. "Oh my god! Sorry, I thought you were somebody else!" she let out a stray giggle, straightening her face when Stefan groaned.

He refused to let her see. "Don't be such a baby, I really feel awful, I didn't know it would hurt that bad," she said, trying to prise his hands from his face. Then he laughed, removing his hands, and still grinning, told her, it didn't hurt at all. "You think you're real charming don't you?" she punched him the arm. He smirked, and sighed. "How about you tell me why you've been avoiding me?" It was Caroline's turn to sigh. "The red girl in the dress who kissed you in Rome? Friend of yours?" Realization dawned on Stefan's face. "You saw that, huh? She's our crazy cousin, Katherine, and since she loves her wine, so to speak, she often gets plastered. I was only helping her back inside."

Caroline walked down the road, Stefan hurrying to keep up. "So she's not an ex-girlfriend, then?" she asked. Stefan shook his head, putting his hands in his suit pockets. "Thank you for offering to show your painting, I know that it means a lot to you and-" Stefan nodded. "Yes, it does, so like I said, I'll let you get changed and then I'll pick you up at 8pm for dinner. I've got this great place in mind for our first date." Caroline smiled. "Fine," she said

They walked together in peace for a few minutes, finding they had a lot in common, and then Caroline caught sight of her Romeos, springing at her from every direction. She shoved him to and fro, trying to escape. "What's going on?" he said. She shook her head "It's too hard to explain." Tyler waved his paintbrushes, Klaus declared his love, and Matt pointed at his abs. "I'm sorry, Stefan, but I've got to go!" Caroline ran to her apartment which was only a block away and locked her door, leaning against it to catch her breath.

After a minute, she kicked off her shoes, and pulled off her jacket, turning to see the Magnificent Enzo hanging down from her living room light. She screamed. "Enzo, what are you doing here?" she watched the magician untangle himself. "Blowing your mind!" He was adamant on breaking his own record, but upon his haste, dropped, and tripped over the coffee table, falling on it so it smashed. "This is crazy! It needs to stop!" she screamed, staring at the destruction he left behind. "You don't love me, you don't even know me! Get out!"

When Caroline had shoved him outside, ignoring his protests and checking her cupboards, she dialled Elena, sipping her red wine, and listening to the dial tone. There was a scuffle, two kinds of laughter, and then Elena's voice. "Hello?" Caroline smiled, it was good to hear her so happy. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" she said. Elena perked up. "Not at all, what's up?" Caroline told her about all the weird things that had happened to her since Rome. "I swear I'm not losing my mind, am I?" She needed Elena to tell her she wasn't.

Elena muttered measurements to Damon. "What are you two doing?" Damon spoke into the phone. "Baking..." She was thankful, until he added. "Naked." She took a gulp of wine, trying to forget the image, hearing Elena hushing Damon. Suddenly, he said: "Did you take any coins from the _Fonte D'amore_?" Of course, she had, but hadn't intended anything of it. Elena butted in. "There's this myth, if you take someone's coin from the fountain they fall in love with you. How many coins did you take?" Caroline put down her empty wine glass. "Five?" she admitted.

Damon chortled into Elena's shoulder, as his wife sighed _. This was the worst timing ever for a bunch of Romeo's to be wooing her_ , _but Caroline only had herself to blame. "_ What am I supposed to do? I can't just jump on a plane to return the coins, I have the Gala in a few days, and-" Elena and Damon told her to keep herself busy, and to avoid her Romeos until they could find out more about the curse. Caroline put down her phone. She received a text from Stefan, reminding her about dinner, and started freaking out when she realised she had nothing to wear.

She sent a text back. _Running late, bring painting._ And she sent him her address. Stefan arrived on her doorstep wearing a suit and a blue tie. "Wow, you look great," he grinned. She pulled a red cardigan over blue dress, and climbed into a cab. Stefan smiled in a mysterious way when she asked about his painting. "It's at home, I wanted to savour this moment, you see, ever since that night in Rome, I wanted to say-" Caroline saw a waitress with funny goggles on top of her head and made a face at Stefan, who seemed excited.

"Please take my hand and I'll lead you to your table. I'm April Young, and I will be looking after you today." She smiled, and Caroline grabbed her hand, holding Stefan's firmly. "You will not be able to see your partner but your other senses will be heightened. Let me help you with your jacket, sir." Caroline found her seat with difficulty and put her clutch on the table, patting the cutlery and finding her serviette. "I struggle with your muscles," April giggled. Caroline squinted into the darkness trying to locate Stefan. She heard his chair scrape against the floor, and heard him sit.

April was still talking. "If you need anything, raise your hand and an attendant will serve your wine, and now I'm going to go touch other people in the restaurant..." Caroline waited a minute, leaning forward, unable to see a thing, but reaching out and finding Stefan's hand. He caressed her fingertips in a romantic way. She heard her wine being poured, and wondered why Stefan had chosen this restaurant for their first date, but the pros were: none of her Romeos would be there, let only be able to see her. She cleared her throat and lied. "This is nice," she said.

Caroline's wine had barely stained her lips when she heard Matt's voice near her left hand. "Even in the dark you're beautiful..." He grabbed her hand, and placed them against his chest. Horrified, and unable to see, Caroline squeaked, alerting Stefan. "Do you have the time?" Enzo said, whilst Stefan complained his watch had been stolen. "Caroline, I want you to have this..." Klaus said, trying to put something on her left wrist. She flinched, Tyler had just grabbed her foot. "I'm sorry, Stefan, I've got to go!" she yelled, slipping from her chair and crawling beneath the tables.

She breathed the cool night air, looking for a cab, and then Stefan caught up to her. "Oh please, just let me go!" she said, worried the others might find her. "How many guys do you have?" Stefan asked, exasperated. She could see disappointment in his eyes. She tried to explain. "They don't know me, they're under a spell... you don't understand." Caroline kept walking, and Stefan followed. At a restaurant nearby, somebody called her name.

"Why don't you leave me alone, I don't know you!" and she slammed her hand down onto his table.

"Caroline, it's me, Alaric, your dentist! Are you feeling okay?" Caroline tried to smile, apologising, and turned into Stefan, gripping the edge of his jacket. Concerned, Stefan, took her hand, and ran his other through her hair. "Where do you feel safe?" he murmured. She smiled as she said the museum. As soon as she walked inside, Caroline felt at home, and more importantly, safe.

They were standing in front of one of her favourite paintings. Caroline recalled the story about Picasso's lover, as Stefan listened, finding the story calmed her. "Picasso left his wife, Olga, and had an affair with seventeen year old, Marie-Thérèse Walter when he was forty-five, she became his muse for many of his paintings, like this one, called "Le Rêve" or "The Dream," they also had a daughter called Maya. Later, Picasso left Marie-Thérèse for Dora Maar, who became his inspiration for 'The Weeping Woman' series, but after Picasso died Marie-Thérèse hung herself...she just loved him so much, and I guess I just feel...every time I've put myself out there I've gotten hurt..." Caroline paused, seeing Stefan's earnest expression. "I'm just constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"No shoe's going to drop, Caroline. This is real _, I'm real_." Caroline looked into Stefan's reassuring blue eyes, believing him. She let him raise her chin gently, and smiled when he kissed her in front of her favourite painting. She leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. He smirked, kissing her cheek, and nose, his hands supporting her back. Caroline wanted more, accepting his invitation back to his place...besides she needed to see his painting.

Caroline saw the painting as soon as she entered. "It's so beautiful, and so sad," she whispered, as Stefan put his keys in a bowl on the coffee table, fixing her a glass of champagne. Stefan passed it to her. "You know each time I look at it, all I think about is football, my family, my old man, all the dreams gone in an instant. That was the real hit, because my doctor told me I could never play again. After the lightning, my vision hasn't been the same." Caroline put down her empty glass of champagne, making up her mind. She loosened his tie. He swallowed, gazing into her determined eyes and brushed her hair from her face. She pushed him back onto his lounge, and kissed him, tugging on his bottom lip with her teeth. Kneeling either side of his thighs, she pulled his tie from his shirt, dropping it, and felt Stefan's heart racing against her palm.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Caroline murmured between kisses. Stefan pulled her cardigan from her back, pulling the straps of her dress aside to kiss her bare shoulders. "It was tough, but you wouldn't believe how many women I've slept with since telling them that..." Caroline didn't look impressed. "How many?" He grinned. "I've never told anyone, but you." She undid the ribbon on her dress, tossing her hair over her shoulder and kissed his neck, pleased to hear his shortened breaths.

Sliding her palm down his chest and over his belt, Caroline began to rub his groin. "How do you feel now?" she smirked, teasing his earlobe with her front teeth. She was almost about to undo his belt, when she noticed something blue on the top of the lounge. It was surrounded by biscuit crumbs and beer bottle caps - a gambling chip, much like the one she had pulled from the _Fonte d'Amore_. Her heart stopped and she prised her lips from Stefan's, feeling sick, and re-tying her dress.

"What's wrong? We can slow down?" Stefan said, noticing her distress. She didn't want to hurt him, not again, but she couldn't, and she couldn't tell him the truth. "I have to go..." she picked up her cardigan and clutch, hesitating when he called out, confused and patience waning. "I don't understand?" She could have kissed him all night, but Stefan didn't love her, he only thought he did. "It's not real, Stefan, and it's never going to be real." Caroline opened the door. "What about the photograph?" Caroline looked over her shoulder, and shook her head. "I don't want to see you in pain..." she admitted, closing the door and muffling a sob with the back of her hand.

 **A/N: I was going to make Enzo the model, and Matt, the magician, but in the end, opted for a shirtless, Matt, rather than a shirtless, Enzo. Reviews welcome! x**


	3. Happy Endings

**Disclaimer: Not mine, as much as I wish. A/N: Last chapter, I've got another four stories to write! Thanks all for your reviews! Feel free to check out my other stories if you want :) x**

 **Happy Endings**

 **3.**

It was the night of the Gala, Caroline and Bonnie were putting together last minute essentials; folding programs, and finishing off media packs. Esther said she'd arrive at 7.30pm alongside the Mayor, and Caroline's job relied on everything running smoothly. Lashings of rain against her apartment windows reminded her of Stefan's _Petrochelli_ painting which, in the end, she hadn't taken as the centrepiece, deciding instead on _"The Dream"_ by Picasso, and praying it would still impress. Caroline often daydreamed about Stefan, remembering the taste of his lips on hers, but had convinced herself it hadn't been real.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked, noticing Caroline's disappointment. Caroline nodded. "What about you? You haven't spoken to your dad much, are you excited about tonight?" Bonnie tied some ribbons over the media packs, and sighed. "I haven't had much to do with him, I lived with my Gran growing up, and dad always worked at the office. I'm proud that he's mayor, but like I said, he probably won't even have time for me," she said, without looking up. Caroline squeezed her hand.

"I'm sure he'll _make_ time for you," she said. Bonnie smiled, packing her programs into an empty box, as the phone rang. Caroline recognised Elena's voice on the line. She seemed excited about something. "There's another way! We spoke to Damon's nonna and she said: 'to break the curse, you only have to return the coins to each individual, in turn, giving them their love back,' isn't that great?" Caroline looked at the bowl where she'd kept the five coins for safekeeping. "So, if I return the coins, I get my life back?" Caroline repeated, suddenly relieved.

Bonnie gathered her things together and when Caroline's back was turned, went to the bookshelf to collect the coins, thinking she was doing her friend a favour and hid them inside her leather jacket. "I'm going to set up, I'll see you there?" Bonnie said, as Caroline smiled, staying on the phone with Elena. "I'm glad you got your happily ever after, Elena," Caroline said, thinking of Stefan and trying not to sound too depressed. "You will too, someday!" Elena said. Hanging up the phone, Caroline heard a door-knock, and as luck would have it, her Romeos stood there, arguing over who would take her to the Gala.

"I'm glad you're all here. I need to tell you something..." she said, inviting them into her apartment.

Klaus admired Caroline's blue off-the-shoulder dress with a kind smile. "You look great, are you excited for the show?" he asked. She thanked him, pointing to her couch. Enzo shuffled his cards on his knee, catching her expression. "You seem sad," he said. She didn't quite know how she was going to break the news to them. Matt's cocky response made her roll her eyes. "It's like the Bachelor!" Tyler had paint beneath his fingernails. "She's going to pick one of us!" he said. Matt grinned, "I like my odds," he said. Caroline explained about the coins and the curse, begging them to understand that their love wasn't real.

They contradicted her, trying to outdo each other with their confessions of love. When they wouldn't listen she shouted over them. "We're not in love with each other! I'm in love with Stefan! _I'm in love with Stefan,"_ and she smiled. Her Romeos looked disheartened. "I'm sorry, I love him, even if he may not love me back," she said, shrugging. Just like _Marie-Therese_ , she thought, with a smile. Klaus broke the silence. "I understand what it feels like to love someone, and them not loving you back..." he said, as Caroline walked over to the bowl to retrieve the coins.

"It will all make sense in a minute, once I give you something back." Her fingers grazed the empty porcelain bowl, and she recalled Bonnie had left before her, with, no doubt, the coins. "Oh, Bonnie, what have you done?" she whispered, suddenly anxious.

Klaus noticed her distress, interrupting Tyler and Matt's argument about who loved her most. "The whole point of love is to put somebody else's love above your own," Enzo agreed. "So, how can we help, sweetheart?" Caroline checked her watch. "I need to be at the Gala, now," she said. More arguing broke out, and Klaus stood up, gesturing at her. "If we love her, _we'll_ get her to the Gala!" he rallied the others, and Caroline appreciated it. Matt declared: "I'm going to do it with more flare than all of you!" They ignored him and Caroline took Klaus' arm, as Tyler had an idea.

"We can take my car!" his eyes lit up, and he patted his pockets for the car keys. They looked at Enzo, who grinned, shaking them in front of his nose. "Don't worry, we'll get there you in time," Klaus said escorting her like a gentleman, downstairs. When they'd all piled into Tyler's tiny yellow car, Klaus was first to comment: "Who made this car, Fisher Price!" he grumbled squashed beside Matt and Enzo. They sat in traffic for five minutes. Caroline's fingers tapped like a metronome. Matt and Enzo bickered, and Klaus told them to shut up.

"Just drive like you're in Rome!" Caroline ordered, holding on while Tyler grinned, putting his foot down and weaving his car through the traffic like a maniac. Klaus complained about the two idiots beside him, and badgered Tyler to stop the car. "I'll give you $100 to let me sit in the front!" Tyler braked, Caroline complaining of whiplash. Soon she sat upon Klaus' lap, as Tyler stuffed the note into his pocket, driving on. Enzo complained about being car-sick, and Matt shoved him back his side. Tyler drove his car up the curb and down the footpath, laughing when pedestrians screamed.

Caroline asked to be dropped outside but Tyler shook his head. "Not close enough, I'll take you right upstairs..." he grinned, driving straight for the glass doors. Enzo hummed a mantra. "We must all believe," he said as Klaus and Caroline exchanged terrified looks and Tyler hooted with glee, speeding towards the glass doors. Klaus bellowed: "I DON'T BELIEVE!" almost deafening Caroline who'd closed her eyes with a squeak, opening them seconds later, to see they'd driven straight into the lift, unharmed. She asked the man beside her to push 'number 5,' and counted the floors in her head, as Matt sang along to the jingle.

"Good luck," Klaus said, letting Caroline shuffle out of the car. She ran down the hall, hearing applause coming from her exhibit and stopped, seeing Stefan's painting in the middle of the room and wondering how it got there. Esther brought Mr Bennett over, and Caroline wondered if he would remember her, they shook hands, and he looked impressed. Even better, Esther beamed. "People cried when they saw the _Petrochelli_ ," she said. "It was a wonderful choice. I am proud of you, Caroline." The crowd parted, and she located Bonnie, delivering orders into her ear-piece.

Bonnie smiled. "I spoke to my dad, he's going take me out to dinner after this," she said. Caroline opened her palm, and asked for the coins. "I just wanted to see you happy." Caroline felt relieved as soon as the coins touched her skin. "If I take Stefan's love against his will, it's not love at all." Bonnie gave her a hug, apologising again. "Let me know how things go with your dad," Caroline said as Bonnie went to present the media with their gift bags.

She rang Stefan to thank him for the loan of his painting. "Thank you for making me believe in love again," and she asked him to meet her, so she could give him something that would explain everything. She looked at the five different coins, and saw that her Romeos were waiting for her. They congratulated her on her success, and she told them it was time. She picked the one she guessed belonged to Enzo. "Yours?" she became frustrated when he evaded her hands. "No, take it," she hissed, forcing her palm over his, and watching his smile grin fade.

The buzz from the gallery reached her ears, and Enzo stepped back and confessed: "I used to be too scared to perform, until you came along. You gave me confidence." She smiled, relieved he'd been released from the spell, and studied a bronze coin, dated 1948. "Are you a coin collector?" she asked Klaus, who walked up with his arms behind his back. She dropped the coin into his palm. His eyes glazed over in thought. "At the time I dropped this into the fountain, I wished for my wife, Hayley, to return to me, but I knew it was far-fetched. I craved company, and you gave me that, so thank you."

Caroline looked down at the three coins left in her hand. Tyler and Matt fidgeted beside each other. "Is this your euro?" she asked Tyler, surprised by his American accent. "I wanted to be an artist all my life, but I'm actually a mechanic," he admitted. "I think you're a great artist," she whispered, making him blush, whilst Matt frowned. "I think I'll miss you least of all..." she muttered, returning Matt's coin, grateful he'd left his shirt on. "I don't think I learned anything, but I had a blast watching you grow!" Caroline shoved his face out of her personal space. "Seriously?" He shrugged, finding a blond admiring a painting nearby, and went to bother her instead.

Caroline sighed when Tyler, Enzo and Klaus left to mingle with the other guests. Klaus gave Caroline an encouraging smile over his shoulder before he left, which she returned. She held up the gambling chip, Stefan's chip, and tried to prepare something to say for when he arrived.

* * *

Stefan ran through the wet streets, glancing at the thundering skies and praying he wouldn't get hit by lightning a second time. He kicked himself for choosing to be Jeremy's wingman over supporting Caroline on her big night and dodged traffic, avoiding a random horse and cart, only to get hit by car. "Watch where you're going!" Jeremy yelled from his car window, having left their dates. Stefan picked up his bruised body with a groan, and Jeremy sighed, pointing to the passenger seat. "Get in, I'll take you to her," he said, whilst someone behind him honked their horn.

Stefan texted Caroline to let her know he was nearby. _Not far, meet you downstairs._ She saw Bonnie chatting to Mr Bennett and Klaus drinking champagne in front of the _Petrochelli_ discussing art and culture with Esther, while the blond woman, Matt had tried to chat up, hugged Klaus' shoulder. To their left, Tyler admired Degas' brushstrokes in awe, and Matt huffed in a corner, when nobody listened to him. She bumped into Enzo right before she descended the second and third levels, and in her surprise, dropped Stefan's chip.

Enzo picked it up, performing his last trick and teasing her when she tried to get it. Her fingers grazed its edges, knocking it from Enzo's hand so it fell to the ground and set off down the linoleum ramp. She gave Enzo a look of horror and he stepped aside, watching her sprint after it. She pulled off her heels, picking them up by their straps, and ran faster. She passed the mammals' section, the birds of prey and the dinosaurs, stopping when she reached level one and saw the chip bounce off a pair of polished black shoes. Stefan stared at it, frowning, as she, breathless, came to meet him.

"So, I guess it's over now, huh?" she whispered, having returned the last coin to its owner. He frowned. "Is that really what you want?" he asked. Caroline pointed to the chip. "You've got your will back..." she sighed, thinking their relationship was over with, despite how alive it made her feel. He shook his head, confusing her. "Ever since I saw you in that fountain, I knew I was in love with you. I'm a mess, Caroline, I can't eat, I can't sleep, and I don't know what this gambling chip has to do with any of it?" Caroline stared at the chip. _It made no difference, Stefan still loved her._

"This is real?" she breathed, surprised by his confession. Stefan nodded. "I ran all the way up 5th avenue in a lightning storm..." he continued. Caroline interrupted. "Because you love me?" He stopped, and she regretted saying anything. "I mean, say it, if you want to, no pressure..." she stuttered, feeling stupid. Stefan sighed, dropping the chip into his pocket, and running his hand through her hair. His thumb caressed her chin, and her heart raced. "The only spell I'm under is yours, Caroline Forbes," he said, pressing his lips against hers. She felt as if her heart would explode out of happiness.

* * *

Three years later, Caroline looked at her reflection in the mirror, hearing the _Fonte d'amore_ outside her dressing room window. She flattened her hands against her white lace dress, and exhaled gently, hardly daring to believe she would be walking down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams. She straightened the gold sash around her waist, and felt Elena's hands tidying her hair. "You look amazing," she beamed while Caroline warned her against compliments which would cause her mascara to run. Liz Forbes arranged her daughter's bouquet of purple and white calla lilies.

"I agree with Elena," she said, tying a blue ribbon around the stems of the lilies. Caroline thanked her mother, letting Elena pin a short veil over her eyes. "Ready?" Elena beamed, hearing Pachabel's Canon in D starting, and giving her sister a brief hug. "It's time," Liz said, blinking back tears, and giving Caroline a kiss on the cheek. "You do look beautiful, baby girl," and she gave Caroline her bouquet, whilst Elena picked up a basket of rose petals. They were about to leave when Enzo burst into the room. Caroline had forgotten she'd sent invites to all her Romeo's.

"We need to talk," Enzo muttered, wearing a long black coat over his suit, and a bowler hat, making him resemble Inspector Gadget. Elena shook her head, but Caroline listened, waving Elena on. Instead, Elena hovered in the doorway. "I flew over here as soon as I realized, but," Enzo showed Caroline a gambling chip, and it took a minute to register. "I think I gave you the wrong one that day, during your exhibition. This is the real one." He muttered an apology, letting himself out.

"He's been under the spell this whole time?" she felt sick, shaking, and Elena tried to comfort her. Liz had heard the story over dinner once, and welcomed Bill inside. She hurried Elena along, and gave Bill a meaningful look. He'd picked up on the tension in the room, and wondered if Caroline had cold feet. She wrung her hands together, smiling when he complimented her. She stared at her frightened reflection and clung to his arm. "When you married mum, did you ever think you wouldn't make it?" she asked. Bill gave her some much needed advice.

"Honey, you cannot learn from my mistakes, you have to make your own and you can get your heart broken, or you can have the greatest love affair the world has ever known..." she let his words sink in and nodded, watching him open the doors. She looked over her wedding guests, forcing herself to smile. Matt had arrived, sitting himself beside Tyler, who she saw, had trading his paint sticks in for grease and a white singlet top. She saw her boss, Esther, surrounded by her children, some Caroline recognised from the Gala three years ago.

Klaus sat beside his mother, shuffling closer to the pew when some other guests arrived. A woman sat down, accompanied by a tall man with his handkerchief in his pocket. Klaus looked astonished, and the blond elbowed him, like siblings would, causing Klaus to say something. The woman smiled, and held his hand. Caroline returned her gaze to the altar where Stefan looked dapper. Jeremy and Damon stood either side, and behind Damon's legs stood, his and Elena's son, with magnificent blue eyes that ran in the family. Bill passed her over to Stefan, and she gave her bouquet to Elena, looking down at the gambling chip, which also happened to be blue, and borrowed, she thought, _how ironic._

Father Jesse welcomed them, bringing the procession forwards. Elena beckoned for her son, Giuliano, to sit with his grandparents, Liz and Bill, while Damon sat on the opposite pew with his mother, Lily, who ran a small bed and breakfast. Stefan took Caroline's right hand, leaving her to clasp his gambling chip in her left, still of two minds. Meeting Stefan, and falling in love had been such a wonderful journey, but now she worried whether Stefan loved her at all? _Maybe this was the real Fonte d'amore's practical joke? Maybe she had been right in thinking true love wasn't for her?_

Caroline saw Enzo's matching glum expression, and felt Stefan's thumb caressing her fingertips out of concern. Thoughts bombarded her head as she measured the pros and cons, but always returned to the morality of the situation, Stefan was still under the spell, and it was her obligation to set him free. Jesse continued: "A marriage is like all contracts, so if there's anybody here who has their reasons for objecting, then please say so, or forever hold onto your pieces..." Elena and Jeremy hid their smiles behind their hands, while Jesse looked upon their guests.

"Anybody? Anybody? It could be anybody..." he shrugged, wiping the sweat nervous sweat from his brow. Distracted by the Father's strange behaviour, Caroline mouthed to Stefan, 'is he drunk?' Caroline saw the colour in Stefan's cheeks rise out of frustration. "Nobody's objecting, get on with it," he hissed while Jesse carried on with the rest of the spiel, slightly affronted. So do you, Caroline, take this man to be your _awful_ wedded husband?" Father Jesse muttered, glaring at Stefan.

"Lawful," Stefan hissed. Caroline wanted to say yes, but she also wanted to do the right thing. Stefan lifted her chin, his kind, warm eyes pleading to trust him, and in return she gave him the gambling chip. "I'm sorry, I can't." She felt all eyes on hers as she sprinted from the church and found herself standing in the _Fonte d'amore,_ crying her eyes out. "Did you have fun watching me go crazy?! Did you have fun watching my life go upside down? Because I did!" Caroline heard Stefan's shout.

"Why do you keep giving me back my poker chips!" he demanded, raising his eyebrows in disbelief. She was unable to keep her secret from him any longer. "You threw it into the fountain and wished for love, and I don't want to keep it anymore!" she shouted, wiping her tears from her cheeks. "No I didn't..." Stefan looked bewildered. She stared at him, his smile infectious. "Then who did?!" He shrugged, stepping into the fountain with her. "I don't know!" She furrowed her brow, it seemed to be a mystery.

He threw the chip over his shoulder, and a few seconds later a shout alerted them. They saw Father Jesse running around like a lunatic, kissing the flagstones, chasing pigeons and praying to God, grateful to be alive. Snorting into Stefan's shirt, Caroline caught Stefan's amused expression and rested her chin against his chest, breathing a sigh of relief. It was all over, and Stefan still loved her, despite everything. Stefan's eyes twinkled. With no more excuses, not to mention an overwhelming urge to kiss him, Caroline welcomed his proposition. "Can we get married now?" he grinned, brushing her wet hair aside. She nodded, kissing him with a smile and taking back all the bad things she'd ever said about the _Fonte d'amore._

 **A/N: Please review. I decided not to write the dance off scene, just use your imagination for that part. Thanks for your interest, I hope you enjoyed it. x**


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